''Ang Mutya ng Section E'' () is a Philippine
teen
Adolescence () is a transitional stage of human Developmental biology, physical and psychological Human development (biology), development that generally occurs during the period from puberty to adulthood (typically corresponding to the age o ...
romantic comedy
Romantic comedy (also known as romcom or rom-com) is a sub-genre of comedy and Romance novel, romance fiction, focusing on lighthearted, humorous plot lines centered on romantic ideas, such as how true love is able to surmount all obstacles. Ro ...
television series. It is based on the
Wattpad
Wattpad is a website for reading and publishing originally written fiction and connecting with fellow writers and readers. Its most popular genres are romance, teen fiction, and fan fiction. As of November 2021, Wattpad had more than 90 mill ...
book trilogy of the same name by the Filipino author Lara Flores, who is better known by her
pseudonym
A pseudonym (; ) or alias () is a fictitious name that a person assumes for a particular purpose, which differs from their original or true meaning ( orthonym). This also differs from a new name that entirely or legally replaces an individual's o ...
Eatmore2behappy. The series stars Ashtine Olviga,
Andres Muhlach and
Rabin Angeles. It premiered on
Viva One on January 3, 2025. The title, ''Ang Mutya ng Section E'', means that inside the section E there's only one girl student which is Jay-jay.
Context
A high school student named Jay-jay transfers to the prestigious Higher Value International School. However, to her surprise, she is sent to Section E, the lowest and most unruly section of the school. The boys of Section E, especially the class president Keifer, are determined to drive their only female classmate out of their section, but she won't go down without a fight.
Cast and characters
;Main cast
* Ashtine Olviga as Jasper Jean "Jay-jay" Fernandez Mariano
*
Andres Muhlach as Mark Keifer Watson
*
Rabin Angeles as Yuri Hanamichi
;Supporting cast
* André Yllana as Michael Aries Fernandez
* Alexander Payan as Kiko Evans
* Heart Ryan as Ella Dianne Hyun
* Angela Muji as Rakki San Diego
* Sara Joe as Freya Hidalgo
*Jastine Lim as Grace Miller
* Axel Torres as Michael Angelo Fernandez
* Robbie Wachtel as Keigan Watson
* Kanye Marren Avendaño as Keiren Watson
*
Yayo Aguila
Maria Rosario Racelis Aguila (September 13, 1967), better known as Yayo Aguila, is a Filipino actress whose career began through the cult film series '' Bagets''.
Career
Yayo Aguila's career began in 1982. Her breakout film was the cult film ...
as Gemma Fernandez
* Charles Law as Cinco Neith "Ci-N" Peralta
* Frost Sandoval as David Theodore Braselton
* Keagan De Jesus as Superman "Eman" Andrada
* Rafa Victorino as Micaela Yumol
* Ethan David as Calix Reinier Rivera
* Kurt Delos Reyes as John Felix Collins
* Martin Venegas as Denzel Castillo
* Nic Galvez as Kit Harrington
* Daniel Ong as Mayo Jeson Ramos
* AJ Ferrer as Rory Abejar
* Sam Shoaf as Edrix Knight Peñaflor
* Michael Keith as Eren De Luna
* Kyosu Guinto as Josh Venites
* Yanyan De Jesus as Drew Mercado
* Derick Ong as Blaster Madrigal
* JD Axie as Percy Rey Collins
* Dann Quibuyen as Cyrus Velasco
* Naz San Juan as Ram Geronimo
* Rommel Luna as Mr. Alvin Siongco
;Recurring cast
*
Nanette Inventor
Nanette Inventor (born June 23, 1954) is a Filipino comedian, actress, singer, composer and writer.
Early life
Nanette Inventor was born in Manila, capital of the Philippines. She had two sisters and a brother. She studied at the University of ...
as Malou Fernandez
*
Lander Vera-Perez as Jaspher "Boy" Mariano
*
Katya Santos as Jeana Fernandez
* Janina Lorelei as Dr. Celeste Peralta
* Anna Feo as Tita Jenny
Episodes
Background and release
The series is based on a popular
Wattpad
Wattpad is a website for reading and publishing originally written fiction and connecting with fellow writers and readers. Its most popular genres are romance, teen fiction, and fan fiction. As of November 2021, Wattpad had more than 90 mill ...
book trilogy of the same name by the Filipino author Lara Flores, better known by her pseudonym Eatmore2behappy. The trilogy has reportedly amassed a total of 348 million reads, as of December 2024.
The cast was first revealed at a press conference in November 2024 at the
Viva Café, with Ashtine Olviga,
Andres Muhlach, and Rabin Angeles playing lead roles.
New-generation actors Andre Yllana, Charles Law, Frost Sandoval, Keagan De Jesus, Ethan David, Kurt Delos Reyes, Martin Venegas, Nic Galvez, Daniel Ong, AJ Ferrer, Sam Shoaf, Michael Keith, Kyosu Guinto, Yanyan De Jesus, Derick Ong, and Heart Ryan were also announced as cast members in November, alongside senior actors
Yayo Aguila
Maria Rosario Racelis Aguila (September 13, 1967), better known as Yayo Aguila, is a Filipino actress whose career began through the cult film series '' Bagets''.
Career
Yayo Aguila's career began in 1982. Her breakout film was the cult film ...
,
Katya Santos,
Nanette Inventor
Nanette Inventor (born June 23, 1954) is a Filipino comedian, actress, singer, composer and writer.
Early life
Nanette Inventor was born in Manila, capital of the Philippines. She had two sisters and a brother. She studied at the University of ...
, and Lander Vera-Perez.
The director,
Theodore Boborol
Theodore Capistrano Boborol (born December 19, 1979) is a Filipino Film director, film and Television director, television director who started as a researcher, creative researcher for Star Cinema in 2000. Boborol made his directorial debut with ...
, promised fans of the books that ''Mutya'' would remain faithful to the source material. Flores, the author, affirmed Boborol's promise, revealing that the production secured her consent before making any significant changes to the story.
On December 19, 2024, the series' official trailer premiered at another press conference.
The trailer garnered more than two million views in fewer than 24 hours, which surged to seven million by December 21.
The first season aired on January 3, 2025 with 16 episodes.
The series is a collaboration between
Viva One and
Wattpad Webtoon Studios.
A second season has been announced.
The finale episode was released on
Easter
Easter, also called Pascha ( Aramaic: פַּסְחָא , ''paskha''; Greek: πάσχα, ''páskha'') or Resurrection Sunday, is a Christian festival and cultural holiday commemorating the resurrection of Jesus from the dead, described in t ...
week.
Section E is now free to watch on
TV5 starting in May 19, 2025 every Monday to Friday.
Reception
Critical reception
Nica Glorioso of ''
Nylon Manila'' described the series as a cliché, but praised Olviga for bringing "depth, vulnerability, and plenty of comedic chops" to her performance as Jay-jay.
Audience reception
On March 8, 2025, ''
The Philippine Star
''The Philippine Star'' (self-styled ''The Philippine STAR'') is an English-language newspaper in the Philippines and the flagship brand of the Philstar Media Group. First published on July 28, 1986, by veteran journalists Betty Go-Belmonte, ...
'' declared that ''Ang Mutya ng Section E'' was "officially a global sensation". Writing for the newspaper, MJ Marfori reported that the series made "huge waves" among foreign audiences, helping them appreciate the unique Filipino charisma. Olviga shared, "We're so shocked by the countless edits where the language is different, and the music is different too. We're so happy that even our comment sections are full of people speaking in different languages." Marfori also noted that the ''Mutya'' cast members had become highly popular on social media, with their posts accumulating millions of views and likes on platforms such as
TikTok
TikTok, known in mainland China and Hong Kong as Douyin (), is a social media and Short-form content, short-form online video platform owned by Chinese Internet company ByteDance. It hosts user-submitted videos, which may range in duration f ...
. She described Jay-jay as Olviga's breakthrough role.
See also
*
GAT, a Filipino P-pop boy group.
*LITZ, a Filipino P-pop girl group.
*
The Rain In España
''The Rain In España'' is a Philippine teen romantic drama television series directed by Theodore Boborol that premiered on May 1, 2023, on Viva One. Produced by Studio Viva, an adaptation of the Wattpad novel ''University Series - The Rain i ...
*
List of Philippine films based on Wattpad stories
The first Filipino film adapted from a Wattpad story was Viva Films' '' Diary ng Panget, released in 2014.'' The story gained significant popularity on the platform, and the film became a box-office success, as reported by Box Office Mojo. The s ...
References
External links
*
{{TV5 (Philippine TV network) current original programming
Romantic drama television series
2025 in television
Television series by Studio Viva
2025 Philippine television series debuts
Philippine romance television series
Television shows based on novels